The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama feeds people in need today and fosters collaborative solutions to end hunger tomorrow.

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Spring 2018 Newsletter

Learn about the strides we're making in 2017 and how to join our efforts! Click the image below to view the full content.

Spring 2017 Newsletter

Learn about the strides we're making in 2017 and how to join our efforts! Click the image below to view the full content.

Fall 2016 Newsletter

Our Fall 2016 newsletter has just been released! Read all about our progress so far in 2016, new programs, new staff members, and what you can do to get involved with us. Click the image below to view the full content.

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August 15, 2016 – Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathryn Strickland as Executive Director effective October 3, 2016.

Most recently, Kathryn served as Executive Director for the Food Bank of North Alabama, where she led the organization’s efforts to distribute 8 million pounds of food annually and oversaw the strategic expansion of initiatives around local food entrepreneurship. Prior to her tenure in Huntsville, she held the position of Executive Director for LIFT Housing, a Huntsville nonprofit where she directed affordable housing programs and launched a green homeownership initiative to build energy efficient homes for low income individuals with vocational disabilities.

“Kathryn will bring an extraordinary level of skill, experience and energy to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama,” said David Bell, Chairman of The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Board of Directors. “She is the ideal person to help us fully realize the Food Bank’s aspirations and engage the community in addressing food insecurity throughout central Alabama.”

A native of Birmingham, Strickland holds a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and a B.A. in English from Davidson College. She was also awarded a scholarship to attend the prestigious Strategic Perspectives Nonprofit Management program at Harvard Business School.

“I’m honored to serve as Executive Director of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama and thrilled to return to my home town of Birmingham,” said Strickland. “With over 80,000 children in central Alabama at risk of hunger, I’m eager to join the Food Bank’s phenomenal staff to further its vital mission. In partnership with such an innovative, generous community, I believe we can meet this challenge.”

Strickland was recruited as a part of a national search led by BoardWalk Consulting of Atlanta.

Food Bank Receives Top Honors for Dedication to Food Safety

March 30, 2016 — Community Food Bank of Central Alabama has received a “Superior” rating from the American Institute of Baking (AIB) International, the highest and most coveted rating for food safety awarded by AIB.

The Food Bank scored 900 out of a possible 1,000 points – earning a superior AIB rating and placing it in top tier of the 200 Feeding America food banks. The announcement was made by the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama’s Interim Executive Director, Deb White. “This is one more example of how the Community Food Bank is leading in serving disadvantaged Alabamians. Last year we distributed a record amount of food in our area, providing 10 million meals to families. Our performance on this audit shows our food donors our level of commitment to food safety and the integrity of their brands, while also emphasizing our dedication to providing clients high quality food, handled safely and efficiently, that they so critically need,” said Mrs. White.

The award recognizes the Community Food Bank’s outstanding performance in product handling, food safety, sanitary working conditions, and its exemplary training for employees. Although rigorous inspections and training are required of companies that receive the certification, this “Superior” rating verifies that the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama is committed to the highest level of service to its partner agencies, donors, and the thousands of families it ultimately serves. In 2015, the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama led the charge against hunger by distributing 11.9 million pounds of food to 661,644 people in the 12 county area of central Alabama.

“I am very proud of the team effort responsible for achieving this superior rating with our Director of Operations, Wayne Linder leading the effort”, stated David Bell, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “As many in the food industry know, preparing for an AIB audit can be a grueling process. We had to make costly improvements to our facility to ensure food safety, and we’re not done yet,” added Mr. Linder. The Food Bank needs to acquire a scissor-lift for routine cleaning and maintenance of the 60,000 square foot facility, industrial fans to maintain proper temperatures of food during the hot summer months, and screens for the loading dock’s bay doors to defend against insects entering the warehouse.

AIB International is the leading organization protecting the safety of the food supply chain and delivering quality technical and educational programs in the food safety industry. The organization provides the Feeding America network of member food banks with food industry standards that include best practices and legal requirements. Ultimately, ensuring and making ongoing improvements to safe food storage capabilities enables food banks to secure and distribute more food to more agencies, pantries and meal programs that serve people in need.

With food insecurity remaining high throughout the country, the ability to safely distribute more food is critical for food banks. According to the USDA, about 235,000 people — including over 78,000 children — in Central Alabama are food insecure, which means at some point during the year they don’t know where their next meal will come from.

(training and classes are mandatory for new agencies; optional for current agencies)The compliance and paperwork portion of the class begins at 9 a.m. If you only need Agency Express Training, that portion begins at 10:30 a.m. Please contact anyone in the Agency Relations Department to sign up for any of the classes listed.

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